It is a great honor and privilege to me to be a speaker of the ceremony commemorating brave sons and daughters who gave their lives for their native homeland. The martyrs, who answered the call of duty and gave their lives in defence of their country have risen to the highest ranks.

Commemoration Day of the Martyrs of Azerbaijan that falls on January 20 remained in the memory of the people of Azerbaijan as a day of sorrow and at the same time day of pride. But today is double honor for us because we are commemorating also the Martyrs of our brotherly country, the brave sons and daughters of great Pakistani nation.

Twenty eight years ago, on January 20, 1990, Soviet troops were invadedinto the city of Baku by order of the Kremlin in an ultimately failed attempt to save Communist rule andsuppress Azerbaijan's independence movement.

As you know the present-day continuing Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Garabagh conflict began at the end of 1987 with the territorial claims to Azerbaijan and attacks on the Azerbaijanis by armenians following directions of the leaders of Soviet Union. This conflict resulted in a flood of million Azerbaijani refugees from native Azerbaijani lands and internally displaced Azerbaijani persons from Armenia in order to stop independent movement of our nation at that time. During 1988-1989 the Azerbaijanis who were living in Armenia were forced to leave Armenia and in the course of mass deportation at least hundreds of Azerbaijanis were killed and thousands people were wounded by armenians in that years by the support of Soviet Union. Annexation of part of our lands to Armenia, finally, giving Nagorno Garabagh, the integral part of Azerbaijan to Armenia as a gift exhausted our people’s patience and inflamed anger of the people. As a result of all these injustices they started to demand the resignation of the leadership of Soviet Azerbaijan, as well as to stop armenian atrocities against Azerbaijanies. To choke the innocent people’s voice on January 20, 1990, with the approval of the Soviet leadership under Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet army units were entered to Baku.

The purpose of this terror was the physical death of Azerbaijanian people, annexation of part of our lands to Armenia and to stop the dissolution of the Communist regime and the independence movement. Over the night from 19th to 20th January, 1990 without preliminary declaration of the state of emergency, military units of former Soviet Union were entered into Baku city and some regions of Azerbaijan.The invasion into Baku of a large contingent of Soviet Army units, interior troops and special destination detachments was accompanied by particular cruelty and unprecedented atrocities.

Reprisals were inflicted toward peace population, hundreds of people were killed, wounded, missing.The analysis of the activities carried out by Kremlin on the eve of January 20, as well as the contradictory processes going on in Baku, showed that the January tragedy was the result of a pre-prepared military operation. The Soviet argument that the Soviet troops entered to Azerbaijan for stopping so-called violation against the Soviet citizens had not justification because Azerbaijani people who died at the result of Armenian pogroms were also Soviet citizens then, and Soviet army did not intervene to Armenia for stopping pogroms against Azerbaijanis.According to the materials of the Investigation Commission there were many persons of Armenian nationality among reservists and troops.

At that time, Soviet mass media did not even mention that tragedy, and crime passed over in silence. Azerbaijan was kept in the information blockade and most of the politicians were afraid from anger of Kremlin too and only by statement Heydar Aliyev condemning the bloody crime committed in Baku by the Soviet army, the international community could get real information about this tragedy, bloody and ominous incident that took place.

Black January turned out to be the beginning of the end of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan and disintegration of the Soviet Union. The day of January 20, 1990 became Day of Proud in our history which united the people of Azerbaijan into a community of citizens of an independent nation and strengthened their resolve to achieve that independence. It became a page of heroism in the history of the struggle for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

We regained independence but unfortunately we are still suffering from armenian terrorism and extremism. Every month the brave soldiers of Azerbaijan Army, innocents civilians, women, children lose their lives as a result of armenian provocation and terrorism in the line of control. I extend my deepest thanks to Pakistan which showed brotherly approach supporting fair position of Azerbaijan all these years and didn't recognize aggressor country Armenia as a state. Azerbaijan value this brotherly approach.

And as a country steadly suffering from armenian terrorism we understand Pakistan which has gave and even gives at present time a lot of sacrifices in war against terrorism and extremism. Terrorism is common enemy of the international community and cracking down it needs joint efforts from the world community. We know that along with other law enforcement agencies, Police of Pakistan have been battling against the terrorists to flush them out of the country. Ministry of Interior and the police of Pakistan rendered countless sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and also for maintaining law and to make the society crime free. And we pay also a great tribute to martyrs of Pakistan.

The heroism and sacrifices of the martyrs steadfastly remain as signs of honor and pride for the people of Azerbaijan and Pakistan who will always stand in recognition, respect, and gratitude for the faithful martyrs. The stories of martyrs will live on and pass through the generations, serving as both a lesson and example to the youth about sacrifice, the determination to maintain unity and solidarity.

Words can’t express the sacrifices of those heroes, who gave their lives willingly to protect the country.We are proud of the sacrifices of our brave martyrs and we are also always willing to pay for the sake of our country that provided us with all elements of a prosperous life.

Commemoration of the martyrs is a much deserved recognition for the righteous sacrifices that the martyrs made for their homeland. This event also marks our deep appreciation for the martyrs who now live on in the brightest pages of our history, and for their families who we have come together as one to embrace and support as our own.

I would like to thank all the families who accepted our invitation and joined us today, it is a great honor to see and to be withall of you here. I express my great thanks also to the Ministry of Interior, to dear minister and secretary for their kind support, to the inspector general of Islamabad Police and his staff, whole policemen, as well as to our friends from media and different parts of society, to speakers, Ambassadors and other diplomats for joining us today and for your presence here.